Research Areas

My research looks at complex systems and networks in various design, technological and biological domains, and developing computational and analytical models and methods to better understand them. I am currently working on spectral methods for graph classification, especially for modularity and hierarchy detection in complex networks. The methods developed are being applied to networks in complex engineering design, social networks, brain/neural networks, and urban spatial and socio-economic networks. I came to complex networks from a background in engineering design and urban planning.

I collaborate with two complex systems research groups across the University, the Complex Systems Group, at the School of Physics, headed by Prof. Peter Robinson, and Prof. Andy Dong, at the Civil Engineering Centre for Complex Systems, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies.

2009 | Sarkar, S., Dong, A. and Gero, J.S., 2009, A Problem Decomposition Method for conceptual design, in A. Chakrabarti (ed.), Research into Design: Supporting Multiple Facets of Product Development, Proceedings of the 2009 International Conference on Research into Design, pp. 59-66, Research Publishing Services, Singapore. (1 of 5 best papers out of 75, awarded a Journal Recommendation).

Conference Abstracts

2012 | Sarkar, S., 2012, Striking absence of modularity in large scale, evolving peer to peer networks, Abstract and oral presentation at the Fifth International Conference on Guided Self- Organization, CSIRO and University of Sydney, Sydney, September 2012. (forthcoming).